Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Maker Bhavan Foundation concluded the Vishwakarma Awards 2025 at IIT Indore on Saturday, marking the end of a rigorous, hardware-focused innovation challenge that drew participation from 3,600 STEM students across India and SAARC countries.
The finale, attended by chief guest Dr Hemant Kanakia, IIT Indore director Prof Suhas Joshi and Maker Bhavan Foundation president and CEO Gautam Khanna, showcased 12 working prototypes shortlisted from an initial pool of 1,000 teams after 9 months of technical evaluations, mentoring, and iterative prototyping.
This year’s challenge emphasised real-world engineering—particularly the integration of artificial intelligence directly into physical systems rather than standalone software. Finalists presented solutions across HealTech, Smart Mobility and Intelligent Machines.
In Smart Mobility, Team VAYU-SETU from VESIT secured first place, followed by Team VIHANG from Adamas University. In the Intelligent Machines category, Team Adaptive Modular Arms from IIT Bombay won first prize, while Team Aqualoop from IIT Indore finished second.
In HealTech, Team Sarathi from the C.R. Rao Advanced Institute of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science claimed first place, with Team FlexoGear from IIT Mandi as runners-up.
Dr Kanakia said the prototypes reflected strong applied engineering skills and system-level thinking, while Khanna highlighted the technical constraints students overcame from sensor calibration to power management and low-latency AI deployment.
Prof Joshi emphasised that the competition exemplified deep-tech innovation and the value of student-driven hardware development.
Finalist teams will continue refining their prototypes through dedicated support at IIT Indore. The awards reaffirm Maker Bhavan Foundation’s commitment to nurturing practice-ready engineers and expanding access to structured innovation programmes across the region.
